The War of 1812

The War of 18 12. A Salute to Freedom. , Our Liberty Confirmed , Despite American Independence from Great Britain, the “Royal Empire” remained strong. The British captured American seamen and forced them to serve in the Royal Navy to help fight French blockades surrounding England. In addition, the British failed to fully withdraw from American territories along the Great Lakes following the Revolutionary War and continued to challenge our right to free trade. These attempts by the British to influence and challenge our liberty resulted in the War of 18 12., To redeem our national honor, extensive fighting began along the southern Canadian border, the Chesapeake Bay region, in the Gulf of Mexico, and along the eastern seaboard. American naval vessels often proved superior to the Royal fleet in battle. British attempts to overtake the cities of Baltimore and New Orleans failed. American independence was confirmed by holding off British troops at sea and by land. The military and civilian costs were immense, but hope and liberty were restored for our nation., The Price of Independence , The War of 18 12 depleted many American resources. The New England shipping and trading industry was decimated. Our economy was unstable and citizens often questioned the legitimacy of an independent United States of America. The challenges brought fourth by the War of 18 12 proved to be necessary struggles in solidifying our freedom from British control., Oh Say Can You See , One of the most memorable relics of the war came during an unexpected Amercian victory at Fort McHenry near Baltimore. The battle inspired a young Georgetown lawyer, Francis Scott Key, to record his personal feelings about witnessing the events unfold. His words became instantly popular and were transformed into the “Star Spangled Banner”. The tune was officially adopted as our national anthem in March of 1931., [Timeline:] , November 7, 1811: Battle of Tippecanoe , June 18, 1812: America declares war against the British. , July 17, 1812: Fort Mackinac surrenders to British forces , August 19, 1812: The USS Constitution, “Old Ironsides”, defeats the HMS Guerriere. , January 22, 1813: British and First Nation allies repel Kentucky troops at the Battle of Frenchtown. , April 27, 1813: American capture and burn the Upper Canadian capital York. , October 5, 1813: Tecumseh, leader of the Native Alliance, is killed in a U.S. victory at the Battle of the Thames. , August 24-25, 1814: The British burn Washington, D.C. and force President Madison and other officials to flee into the surrounding countryside. , September 11, 1814: The U.S. secures its northern border with a decisive victory over a larger British force at the Battle of Plattsburgh. , September 13-14, 1814: An American flag, measuring 30 by 42 feet still waves in the air following a massive British bombardment at Fort McHenry, near Baltimore. , September 15, 1814: Francis Scott Key writes the Star Spangled Banner. , December 24, 1814: British and American diplomats sign The Treaty of Ghent. , January 8, 1815: Andrew Jackson leads the American forces in a huge victory at the Battle of New Orleans. , February 17, 1815: Ratifications of the Peace Treaty are exchanged and President Madison declares the war at an end.